The perimeter of a triangle is 39 inches. If the length of the shortest side is 1/2 the length of the longest side, and the length of the third side is 1 less than the length of the longest side, what is the length of each side? The shortest side is 8.
Equation?
a. x=1/2y
b. x=2y
c. x=1/2+y
d. x=1/2-y

Question

The perimeter of a triangle is 39 inches. If the length of the shortest side is 1/2 the length of the longest side, and the length of the third side is 1 less than the length of the longest side, what is the length of each side? The shortest side is 8. 
Equation? 
a. x=1/2y
b. x=2y
c. x=1/2+y
d. x=1/2-y

anonymous · Answer

Alriiight. Well, let's define some variables and start writing some equations, okay?

anonymous · Answer

Ok!

anonymous · Answer

a = shortest side
b = medium side
c = long side

anonymous · Answer

Read the information they give you and try to write some equations about the things we know.

anonymous · Answer

Hmmm. I've ended up with a.

anonymous · Answer

Woah. Woah. Hey, now. I asked for step one, and you made a guess at the answer. We're skipping a whole bunch of steps here.

anonymous · Answer

Haha, I've simply made an inference! But I've worked out equations with the variables given and I think it's a.